U.S. patent application number 13/773130 was filed with the patent office on 2013-08-29 for webcam module having a millimeter-wave receiver and transmitter.
This patent application is currently assigned to WILOCITY, LTD.. The applicant listed for this patent is WILOCITY, LTD.. Invention is credited to Dror Meiri, Alon Yehezkely.
Application Number | 20130222613 13/773130 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49002468 |
Filed Date | 2013-08-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130222613 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yehezkely; Alon ; et
al. |
August 29, 2013 |
WEBCAM MODULE HAVING A MILLIMETER-WAVE RECEIVER AND TRANSMITTER
Abstract
An apparatus built in a computing device and configured to allow
the efficient radiation of millimeter-wave signals and capturing of
at least video signals is provided. The apparatus comprises a body
portion enclosed in a casing; a webcam module for capturing and
receiving at least video and audio signals, wherein the webcam
module includes at least a lens located in a first location of the
body portion; an millimeter-wave array of active antennas
configured to radiate the millimeter-wave signals, wherein the
millimeter-wave array of active antennas is located in a second
location of the body portion; and a radio frequency (RF) circuitry
configured to control and activate the array of millimeter-wave
active antennas, wherein an opening in the casing of the body
portion is formed around the first location and the second location
to expose the lens and the array of millimeter-wave active
antennas.
Inventors: |
Yehezkely; Alon; (Haifa,
IL) ; Meiri; Dror; (Zichron Yaakov, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
WILOCITY, LTD.; |
|
|
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
WILOCITY, LTD.
Caesarea
IL
|
Family ID: |
49002468 |
Appl. No.: |
13/773130 |
Filed: |
February 21, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61602740 |
Feb 24, 2012 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
348/207.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/005 20130101;
H01Q 1/44 20130101; H01Q 5/22 20150115; H01Q 21/061 20130101; H01Q
21/20 20130101; G06F 1/1686 20130101; G06F 1/1698 20130101; H01Q
1/2266 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
348/207.1 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/00 20060101
G06F003/00 |
Claims
1. An apparatus built in a computing device and configured to allow
the efficient radiation of millimeter-wave signals and capturing of
at least video signals, comprising: a body portion enclosed in a
casing; a webcam module for capturing and receiving at least video
and audio signals, wherein the webcam module includes at least a
lens located in a first location of the body portion; a
millimeter-wave array of active antennas configured to radiate the
millimeter-wave signals, wherein the millimeter-wave array of
active antennas is located in a second location of the body
portion; and a radio frequency (RF) circuitry configured to control
and activate the array of millimeter-wave active antennas, wherein
an opening in the casing of the body portion is formed around the
first location and the second location to expose the lens and the
array of millimeter-wave active antennas.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the webcam module, the RF
circuitry, and the millimeter-wave array of active antennas are
mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB), wherein the PCB is
located inside of the body portion enclosed in the casing.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the webcam module further
comprises: an image sensor; an image signal processor; a serial bus
connector, wherein through the serial bus connector at least a
power signal is supplied to the image sensor, the image signal
processor, and the RF circuitry.
4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus further
comprises: a peripheral circuitry being installed on the PCB, the
peripheral circuitry includes discrete electronic components shared
with the image signal processor and the RF circuitry.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second location is
alongside the first location.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second location is the
inside perimeter of the first location.
7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the array of active antennas
includes a plurality of radiating elements, wherein the distance
between radiating elements is between a half wavelength and a full
wavelength of a millimeter-wave signal.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the radiating elements of the
array of active antennas are printed on a substrate of the combined
webcam and RF module.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the array of active antennas
is an array of phased-array antennas.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the RF circuitry is further
configured to control the phase per antenna in order to establish a
beam-forming operation for the phased-array antenna.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the array of active antennas
is a triple-band antenna.
12. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprises: a connector
connected to a cable for receiving at least one of a local
oscillator (LO) signal, a control signal, and a baseband
signal.
13. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the webcam module and the RF
circuitry are integrated in a single integrated circuit (IC).
14. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein further comprises: a baseband
module for performing at least up conversion and down conversion of
the millimeter wave signals; a medium access control (MAC) layer
circuit for processing data signals, wherein the data signals are
processed according to the IEEE 802.11ad communication
protocol.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a high-speed serial cable is
connected to the high-speed serial connector, wherein the at least
video signals captured by the webcam module, and the data signals
compliant with the IEEE 802.11ad communication protocol are
transported over the high-speed serial cable.
16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the webcam module, the RF
circuitry, the baseband module, and the MAC layer circuit are
integrated in a single integrated circuit (IC).
17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is disposed in
an upper portion of a lid of the computing device.
18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is disposed in
at least one of: a front panel and a back panel of the computing
device.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 61/602,740, filed on Feb. 24, 2012, the
contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to assembly of a
circuit for transmitting and receiving millimeter wave signals in a
computing device, and more particularly to an arrangement of
millimeter wave antennas in a computing device.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The 60 GHz band is an unlicensed band which features a large
amount of bandwidth and a large worldwide overlap. The large
bandwidth means that a very high volume of information can be
transmitted wirelessly. As a result, multiple applications that
require transmission of a large amount of data can be developed to
allow wireless communication around the 60GHz band. Examples for
such applications include, but are not limited to, wireless high
definition TV (HDTV), a wireless docking station, wireless Gigabit
Ethernet, and many others.
[0004] In order to facilitate such applications there is a need to
develop integrated circuits (ICs), such as amplifiers, mixers,
radio frequency (RF) analog circuits, and active antennas that
operate in the 60 GHz frequency range. Such circuits should be
fabricated as a chip that can be assembled on a printed circuit
board (PCB). The size of the package may range from several to a
few hundred square millimeters. In addition, there is a need to
solve problems resulting from the current assembly of electronic
devices, such as laptop computers, in order to enable efficient
transmission and reception of millimeter wave signals.
[0005] A prime example for such a problem is illustrated in FIG. 1,
which shows a typical assembly of a laptop computer 100 having
radio transmission capabilities. A motherboard 110 of the computer
100 includes a RF module 120 that receives and transmits RF signals
through a receive antenna 130 and a transmit antenna 140, which are
located in the lid 150. Signals from the RF module 120 to the
antennas 130 and 140 are transferred over wires 160. The
motherboard 110 and the RF module 120 are installed in the base
part of the computer 100.
[0006] The assembly illustrated in FIG. 1 cannot be adapted to
enable the integration of 60 GHz communication applications in
consumer electronics products, primarily because transferring high
frequency signals over the wires 160 significantly attenuate the
signals. Increasing the power of the signals at the RF module 120
would require designing complex and expensive RF circuits of the
module 120. Thus, such assembly is not feasible for commercial uses
in consumer electronics products of 60 GHz communication
applications.
[0007] Recent solutions have been proposed to include the RF module
operating the 60 GHz in the lid of the of the laptop computer,
while the base-band module is integrated in the base of the
computer. An illustration of such an assembly is shown in FIG.
2.
[0008] A laptop computer 200 includes an RF system 210 for
transmission and reception of millimeter wave signals. The form
factor of the RF system 210 is spread between the base plane 202
and the lid plane 205 of the laptop computer 200.
[0009] The RF system 210 includes two parts: a baseband module 220
and RF module 230 respectively connected to the base plane 202 and
lid plane 205. The RF module 230 that includes active transmit (TX)
and receive (RX) array of antennas. When transmitting signals, the
baseband module 220 typically provides the RF module 230 with
control, local oscillator (LO), intermediate frequency (IF), and
power (DC) signals. The control signal is utilized for functions,
such as gain control, RX/TX switching, power level control,
sensors, and detectors readouts. Specifically, beam-forming based
RF systems require high frequency beam steering operations which
are performed under the control of the baseband module 220. The
control signals are typically transferred from the baseband 220 of
the system to the RF module 230.
[0010] The RF module 230 typically performs up-conversion, using a
mixer (not shown) on the IF signal(s) to RF signals and then
transmits the RF signals through the TX antenna according to the
control of the control signals. The power signals are DC voltage
signals that power the various components of the RF module 230.
[0011] In the receive direction, the RF module 230 receives RF
signals at the frequency band of 60 GHz, through the active RX
antenna and performs down-conversion, using a mixer, to IF signals
using the LO signals, and sends the IF signals to baseband module
220. The operation of the RF module 230 is controlled by the
control signal, but certain control information (e.g., feedback
signal) is sent back to the baseband module 220.
[0012] However, other than the RF module 230 and an array of
antennas, the assembly of the lid plane 205 typically also includes
one or more cellular antennas (not shown) to communicate with a
cellular network, an array of Wi-Fi antennas (not shown) to receive
and transmit signals from an access point of a wireless local area
network (WLAN), and one or two webcams (not shown). To avoid
problems of signal interferences, the various antennas, i.e., the
array of millimeter wave antennas (module 230), cellular antennas,
and Wi-Fi antennas, should be positioned at a predefined distance
from each other.
[0013] In addition, recently the cases of certain laptop computers
(also known ultrabook computers) are being made of metal or carbon
fiber materials, and the dimensions of the lid plane are small. To
enable efficient energy radiation of signals in such computers, the
various antennas are placed in areas that are not covered by the
metal case. For example, the various antennas are located in the
hinge between the lid and the base of the computer. This assembly
also contributes to the problem with signal interferences and
provides poor antenna radiation properties.
[0014] The above noted problems in laptop computers are also
applicable to other handheld computing devices, such as
smartphones, tablet computers, and the like. In such devices the
area for placing additional components, and in particular,
millimeter wave antennas, are even more limited. Thus, as can be
readily understood, the available space for installing additional
RF circuitry and active antennas for the 60 GHz band in order to
allow efficient transmission or reception while avoiding signal
interferences is very limited.
[0015] It would be therefore advantageous to provide a solution
that overcomes these limitations.
SUMMARY
[0016] Certain embodiments disclosed herein include an apparatus
built in a computing device and configured to allow the efficient
radiation of millimeter-wave signals and capturing of at least
video signals. The apparatus comprises a body portion enclosed in a
casing; a webcam module for capturing and receiving at least video
and audio signals, wherein the webcam module includes at least a
lens located in a first location of the body portion; an
millimeter-wave array of active antennas configured to radiate the
millimeter-wave signals, wherein the millimeter-wave array of
active antennas is located in a second location of the body
portion; and a radio frequency (RF) circuitry configured to control
and activate the array of millimeter-wave active antennas, wherein
an opening in the casing of the body portion is formed around the
first location and the second location to expose the lens and the
array of millimeter-wave active antennas.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The subject matter that is regarded as the invention is
particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at
the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other
objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent
from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings.
[0018] FIG. 1 is a typical assembly of a laptop computer having
radio transmission capabilities.
[0019] FIG. 2 a diagram illustrating the assembly of a laptop
computer having millimeter wave radio transmission
capabilities.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a laptop computer with a
built-in combined webcam and RF module assembled in accordance with
one embodiment.
[0021] FIGS. 4A and 4B show a front and back panel of a handled
computing device with a built-in combined webcam and RF module
assembled in accordance with one embodiment.
[0022] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the combined webcam and RF
module according to one embodiment.
[0023] FIG. 6 is a diagram of an assembly of the combined webcam
and RF module in a lid plane of a laptop computer illustrating the
exposure of the array of active antennas.
[0024] FIG. 7 shows an arrangement array of active antennas
surrounding the perimeter of the lens according to another
embodiment.
[0025] FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate an implementation of the combined
webcam and RF module constructed according to the disclosed
embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] The embodiments disclosed herein are only examples of the
many possible advantageous uses and implementations of the
innovative teachings presented herein. In general, statements made
in the specification of the present application do not necessarily
limit any of the various claimed inventions. Moreover, some
statements may apply to some inventive features but not to others.
In general, unless otherwise indicated, singular elements may be in
plural and vice versa with no loss of generality. In the drawings,
like numerals refer to like parts through several views.
[0027] A schematic diagram of a laptop computer 300 assembled in
accordance with one embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 3.
The laptop computer 300 may be any handled computer, such as a
netbook, a notebook, an ultrabook, and the like. The case of the
laptop computer 300 may be made from metal, carbon fiber, or
plastic materials. The teachings disclosed herein can also be
applied to other handled computing devices, such as, but not
limited to, smartphones, tablet computers, digital cameras,
camcorders, and the like.
[0028] The form factor of a millimeter-wave RF system operable in
the 60 GHz is speared between a base plane 301 and a lid plane 302
of the laptop computer 300. Specifically, the base plane 301
includes a baseband (BB) module 310 while the lid plane 302
includes the RF module 320 with an array of active antennas. The
connection between the modules 310 and 320 is by means of one cable
315. The functionality of the baseband and RF modules 310 and 320
and the signals transferred between them have been described
above.
[0029] Further assembled in the laptop computer 300 is an array of
WiFi antennas 350 and/or cellular antennas 355. As schematically
illustrated in FIG. 3, the antennas 350 and 355 can be placed in
the lid 302, or in the hinge area between the base 301 and lid 302.
It should be noted that more antennas, such as Bluetooth.RTM.
and/or Global Positioning System (GPS) antennas can be integrated
in the computer 300. This is also the case for smart phone and
tablet computers.
[0030] According to certain embodiments disclosed herein, the RF
module 320 and its array of active antennas are integrated in a
webcam module 330, forming a combined webcam and RF module 340,
which is assembled in the lid plane 302. The dimensions of the
combined module 340 are the same as the webcam module 320. To
assemble the webcam module 330 or the combined module 340 in the
lid plane 302, an opening in the casing of the lid is formed. That
is, the only portion in the lid plane 302 that is not covered by
material used for encasing the lid is in the location of the
combined module 340.
[0031] Thus, if the casing of the lid is made of metal, at the
location of the webcam module 330 or the combined module 340, there
is no metal casting. Therefore, it should be understood that
locating the RF module 320 inside an opening created for the webcam
module 330 or the combined module 340 would allow RF signals to
efficiently radiate with low signal interferences. It should be
further understood that in the alternative, where the array of
active antennas are covered by metal casing, then a "caging" effect
is created, and as such RF signals cannot be efficiently radiated
outside of the casing of the lid. Therefore, RF signals cannot be
efficiently received and transmitted by the RF module 320. Whereas
in the proposed assembly, the RF signals can freely radiate through
an opening (or a hole) that exposes the lens of the webcam module
330. In one embodiment, the combined webcam and RF module 340 is
disposed in a lid 302 above a screen 303 of laptop computer
300.
[0032] A webcam module typically includes a body portion enclosed
within its casing. The body portion has an accommodated space
inside for accommodating an electronic circuits and lens. The
electronic circuits may include an image processor, an image
sensor, a peripheral circuitry, and a connector (e.g., a USB
connector). According to certain embodiments, the RF module 320 and
its array of active antennas are placed in the accommodated space
within a webcam module, to contain the combined webcam and RF
module 340.
[0033] In another embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 4A, the
combined webcam and RF module 410 is disposed in the front panel
401 at the side of the device's screen 402. Alternatively or
collectively, as illustrated in FIG. 4B, the combined webcam and RF
module 410 is disposed in a back panel 403 of a computing device
400. The arrangements illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B are suitable
for handheld computing devices, such as smartphones, and tablet
computers. It should be noted that in all of the embodiments
depicted in FIGS. 3, 4A and 4B, the webcam and RF module 410 is a
built-in module of the computing device.
[0034] FIG. 5 shows an exemplary and non-limiting block diagram
illustrating a combined webcam and RF module 500 constructed
according to one embodiment. The module 500 allows capturing images
as well as receiving and transmitting millimeter wave signals. In a
particular embodiment, the RF millimeter wave signals are in the 60
GHz.
[0035] In a body portion 510 of the combined webcam and RF module
500 there are installed on a printed circuit board (PCB) a
connector 501, an image processor 502, a peripheral circuit 503,
and lens 504 integrated in an image sensor chip (or IC). The PCB is
not illustrated in FIG. 5. The body portion 510 is enclosed within
its casing. The components 501, 502 and 504 are elements of a
standard webcam module. The connector 501 may be a USB micro
connector, such as USB 2.0 or USB 3.0, or any other type of
high-speed serial bus. In certain implementation, the PCB can be
replaced with any other substrate material used to for electronic
modules.
[0036] In accordance with an embodiment disclosed herein, a RF
circuitry 520 and an array of millimeter wave active antennas 530
are also included in the body portion 510. The RF circuitry 520 and
the array of active antennas 530 comprise the RF module 550.
[0037] In an embodiment, the active antennas in the array of active
antennas 530 can be controlled to receive/transmit radio signals in
a certain direction, to perform beam forming, and for switching
from receive to transmit modes. In one embodiment, an active
antenna in the array 530 may be a phased array antenna in which
each radiating element can be controlled individually to enable the
usage of beam-forming techniques and to allow antenna diversity,
for example, spatial diversity and/or polarization diversity. The
array of active antennas 530 include a plurality of radiating
elements designed to support efficient reception and transmission
of millimeter wave signals in at least the 60 GHz frequency band.
According to one embodiment, the radiating elements of the active
antennas 530 are implemented using metal patterns in a multilayer
substrate of the PCB.
[0038] The location of the array of active antennas 530 inside the
body portion 510 of the combined webcam RF module 500 is selected
so that the antennas 530 are not covered by the casing of the body
portion 510 and the casing of the computing device (e.g., the
casing of a lid or panel).
[0039] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the combined webcam and RF module
500 is assembled in a lid plane 600 of the laptop computer. As can
be shown the casing (labeled as 601) of the lid covers only a
portion the module 500. Specifically, the lens 504 and array of
active antennas 530 are exposed through an opening 602 allowing
visibility to objects. The opening 602 is typically covered by a
clear plastic material. Thus, RF signals can also be radiated
through the opening 602 without signal interferences or signal
losses. In another embodiment, the active antennas can be placed
behind the lens 504, preferably facing an opposite direction than
the image sensor.
[0040] Referring back to FIG. 5, the RF circuitry 520 typically
performs up-conversion, using a mixer (not shown) on the IF signals
received from the baseband module to the RF signals, and then
transmits the RF signals through the TX antenna according to
control signals also received from the baseband module. In the
receive direction, the RF circuitry 520 receives RF signals at the
frequency band of 60 GHz, through the active RX antenna and
performs down-conversion, using a mixer, to IF signals using the LO
signals, and sends the IF signals to the baseband module. According
to one embodiment, the IF, LO, and control signals are received
from a baseband module over a cable connected to a connector 540.
The connector 540 may be a mini micro coaxial connector (UFL)
connector or other suitable attachment structure. In one
embodiment, the RF module 550 including the RF circuitry 520 and
active antennas 530 may be fabricated in a single integrated
circuit (IC).
[0041] According to another embodiment, the array of active
antennas 530 is a triple-band antenna designed to receive and
transmit millimeter wave signals in the WiFi bands of 2.4 GHz and 5
GHz as well as the WiGig band of 60 GHz. Such a triple-band antenna
includes a printed antenna having two wings for transmitting and
receiving low-frequency signals in any one of the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
frequencies, and an antenna array including a plurality of
radiating elements being printed on one of the wings of the printed
antenna; the antenna array transmits and receives the 60 GHz band
signals. An example of a triple-band antenna can be also found in a
co-pending application Ser. No. 13/052,736, to Myszne, et al.,
assigned to the common assignee of the present application.
[0042] The power signals that power the various components of the
RF circuitry 520 are supplied by the baseband module over the cable
connected to the connector 540. In another configuration, such
power signals are supplied through the connector 501 (e.g., a USB
connector) or a power supply that powers the webcam's electric
components.
[0043] The peripheral circuitry 503 is also installed on the PCB in
the body portion 510 of the combined webcam and RF module 500. The
peripheral circuitry 503 includes electronic components, such as
capacitors, resistors, and inductors, power management circuitry
(e.g. voltage regulators), a time reference (e.g. crystal) that can
be shared with the image sensor and image signal processor 502, and
the RF circuitry 520.
[0044] FIG. 7 shows another arrangement of the array of active
antennas 530 of the combined RF and webcam module according to one
embodiment. The active antennas 530 are designed to surround the
perimeter of the lens 504. In one embodiment, the distance between
radiating elements in the array of active antennas 530 is typically
between a half wavelength and a full wavelength. The connections
between the radiating elements and the RF circuitry 520 are by
means of traces (not shown) being routed through metal vias in the
substrate. It should be noted that the radiating elements of the
array of active antennas 530 are designed to support efficient
reception and transmission of millimeter wave signals, particularly
in the frequency band of 60 GHz. The arrangement of the array of
active antennas 530 as shown in FIG. 7 may be utilized in a device
when the opening in the casing of the device is limited.
[0045] In another arrangement of the combined webcam and RF module
500 depicted in FIG. 8, the body portion 510 of the module 500
includes a baseband (BB) module 801, a medium access control (MAC)
layer circuit 801, and the RF circuitry in addition to the
connector 501, the signal processor 502, and the image sensor and
lens 504 discussed above. In one embodiment, an IC 810 integrates
the baseband module 801, a medium access control (MAC) layer
circuit 802, and the RF circuitry 520. The baseband module 801 has
the functionality described above, for example, with respect to
FIG. 2.
[0046] Thus, in this embodiment shown in FIG. 8, there is no
connector 540, and the IF, control, and LO signals are provided by
the baseband module 801. The MAC layer circuit 802 in the IC 810
provides the MAC functionality according, for example, to IEEE
802.11ad communication protocol. The RF circuitry 520 controls and
activates the array of millimeter wave active antennas 530
discussed above. The connector 501 is a high-speed serial connector
being connected to a high-speed serial cable (e.g., USB3, PCIe, and
the like). Over the high-speed serial cable video signals captured
and processed by the webcam module as well as data signals output
by or to be processed by the MAC layer circuit 802 are also
transported. The data signals processed by the MAC layer circuit
802 are compliant with the IEEE 802.11ad communication
protocol.
[0047] In yet another arrangement depicted in FIG. 9, the body
portion 510 of the combined webcam and RF module 500 includes only
the connector 501, the peripheral circuitry 503, the lens 504
connected to the image sensor, and an IC 910. The IC 910 integrates
the webcam's image processor (e.g., processor 502), a baseband
module, a MAC layer circuit, a RF circuitry (520), and the array of
millimeter wave active antennas. The functions of these components
are discussed in detail above.
[0048] According to this embodiment, the array of active antennas
is implemented on the substrate upon which the IC 910 is mounted.
The IC 910 is fabricated on a multi-layer substrate and metal vias
that connect between the various layers. The multi-layer substrate
may be a combination of metal and dielectric layers and can be made
of materials, such as a laminate (e.g., FR4 glass epoxy,
Bismaleimide-Triazine), ceramic (e.g., low temperature co-fired
ceramic LTCC), polymer (e.g., polyimide), PTFE
(Polytetrafluoroethylene) based compositions (e.g., PTFE/Cermaic,
PTFE/Woven glass fiber), and Woven glass reinforced materials
(e.g., woven glass reinforced resin), wafer level packaging, and
other packaging, technologies and materials.
[0049] It should be noted that in other embodiments, the combined
webcam and RF module 500 can also include circuitry to support WiFi
connectivity integrated, for example, in the IC 910. In this
configuration, the active antennas are constructed as a triple-band
antenna described above.
[0050] It is important to note that these embodiments are only
examples of the many advantageous uses of the innovative teachings
herein. Specifically, the innovative teachings disclosed herein can
be adapted in any type of consumer electronic devices where
reception and transmission of millimeter wave signals is needed.
Moreover, some statements may apply to some inventive features but
not to others. In general, unless otherwise indicated, it is to be
understood that singular elements may be in plural and vice versa
with no loss of generality.
[0051] All examples and conditional language recited herein are
intended for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in
understanding the principles of the invention and the concepts
contributed by the inventor to furthering the art, and are to be
construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited
examples and conditions. Moreover, all statements herein reciting
principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as
specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both
structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is
intended that such equivalents include both currently known
equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future, i.e.,
any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless
of structure.
* * * * *